Shadows & Dancers: Sightless
by At Willow's Dawn
Summary: Generations after the Great Battle, the Clans of the lake are at ease; life, for once, seems peaceful. But when four cats - one from each Clan - begin to speak of a cat with sightless eyes and a world of white, the peace shatters...Clan against Clan, mate against mate, sibling against sibling...but through all this, one question remains: are the shadows really the ones to fear? T.
1. Allegiances

**Hello! I am At Willow's Dawn, and this is my first ever published fanfiction. I hope you enjoy it, and if you find the time to do so please review!**

 **-Willow**

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 **ALLEGIANCES**

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 **THUNDERCLAN**

Leader: Newtstar—small pale gray tom with black flecks, amber eyes (Honeydust's mate)

Deputy: Marshpelt—tortoiseshell tom, yellow eyes

Medicine Cat: Fallowstorm—pale brown tabby she-cat, blue eyes

Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits):

Sorreltooth—black-and-white tom, blue eyes

Ivywhisker—mottled brown she-cat, green eyes (Waspwing's mate)

Dustfang—large dusty brown tom, amber eyes

Honeydust—pale ginger she-cat, amber eyes

Morningfire—dark ginger she-cat, yellow eyes

Harrowtooth—pale gray tom, yellow eyes (Morningfire's mate)

Waspwing—pale ginger tom, amber eyes _(Redpaw)_

Redstripe—white tom with reddish-tan stripe down his back, green eyes _(Raccoonpaw)_

Dashfrost—dark brown tabby tom, green eyes _(Talonpaw)_

Apprentices:

Redpaw—reddish-ginger tom, green eyes

Raccoonpaw—gray she-cat with black face mask and black-ringed tail, yellow eyes

Talonpaw—mottled brown tom, amber eyes

Queens:

Littlewing—pure white she-cat with small paws, amber eyes (mother of Sorreltooth's kits: Tanglekit and Webkit)

Elders:

Blackfrost—black and white tom with singed ears, green eyes

Bramblefur—dusty brown and white tom, amber eyes

Mousefoot—brown and white she-cat, blue eyes

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 **WINDCLAN**

Leader: Bearstar—large dark brown tom, green eyes

Deputy: Rabbitspring—pale gray and white she-cat, amber eyes _(Spiderpaw)_

Medicine Cat: Burrowstep—mottled brown tom with large paws, yellow eyes

Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits):

Moornose—brown tabby she-cat, amber eyes (Hopstep's mate)

Duskflower—black she-cat, green eyes (Cobfoot's mate)

Runningstripe—brown tom with white streaks, yellow eyes (Whitecloud's mate) _(Flashpaw)_

Gorsepelt—pale gray tom, green eyes

Talonclaw—dark brown tom, amber eyes

Furlwhisker—brown and white she-cat, amber eyes

Cobfoot—pale brown and white tom, yellow eyes

Patchwhisker—black and white tom, amber eyes (Treefall's mate)

Apprentices:

Spiderpaw—black she-cat with gray chest and paws, amber eyes

Flashpaw—white and ginger tom, green eyes

Queens:

Treefall—brown she-cat with thick black stripes, yellow eyes (mother of Patchwhisker's kits: Dustkit and Harekit)

Whitecloud—pure white she-cat, green eyes (mother to Runningstripe's kit: Thistlekit)

Elders:

Leafstorm—white she-cat with brown, ginger and golden patches; green eyes

Crowtail—pure black tom, blind amber eyes; retired early due to failed sight

Hopstep—shaggy-furred mottled brown tom with mangled paw, amber eyes

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 **RIVERCLAN**

Leader: Coralstar—rose-colored she-cat with white paws, amber eyes (Podclaw's mate)

Deputy: Mistpelt—dusky gray tom, green eyes

Medicine Cat: Rushfeather—pale brown tom, green eyes _(Hookpaw)_

Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits):

Beechfur—sandy brown tom, amber eyes (Blossomwing's mate)

Stoneclaw—dark gray and white tom, blue eyes (Streamwater's mate)

Podclaw—light brown tom, yellow eyes

Lightstream—golden and white she-cat, amber eyes

Timberfall—dark brown tabby she-cat, green eyes _(Currentpaw)_

Reedfeather—black she-cat, green eyes

Troutleap—pale gray tom, amber eyes (Brightstone's mate)

Featherdrift—small pale gray and white she-cat, blue eyes

Apprentices:

Hookpaw—pale brown and white tom, amber eyes

Currentpaw—silver and black she-cat, green eyes

Queens:

Streamwater—gray and white she-cat, amber eyes (mother of Stoneclaw's kits: Twistkit and Curlewkit)

Brightstone—silver, gray, and ginger tortoiseshell she-cat, yellow eyes (mother of Troutleap's kits: Basskit and Scalekit)

Blossomwing—silver and white she-cat, blue eyes (expecting Beechfur's kits)

Elders:

Lightningstorm—golden and white tom, amber eyes

Feathernose—dark gray she-cat, blue eyes

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 **SHADOWCLAN**

Leader: Elmstar—mottled brown tom with white flecks and ears, green eyes (Snakestep's mate)

Deputy: Wolfstrike—dark gray tom, blue eyes

Medicine Cat: Mothstorm—pale ginger she-cat with dark brown flecks, amber eyes

Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits):

Firebird—ginger she-cat, yellow eyes _(Vixenpaw)_

Sootfeather—dark gray tom, amber eyes _(Mallowpaw)_

Vipertooth—golden tom, green eyes (Harpeywing's mate)

Tawnyblaze—mottled brown tom, blue eyes

Pollennose—dark gray she-cat with white-splashed nose, yellow eyes

Dawnwing—pale cream and white she-cat, amber eyes _(Jaggedpaw)_

Owlstrike—pale brown tom, copper eyes

Larkbreeze—pale gray she-cat, amber eyes _(Bramblepaw)_

Apprentices:

Vixenpaw—dark ginger she-cat with long muzzle and pointed ears; yellow eyes

Mallowpaw—brown and white tom, green eyes

Jaggedpaw—dark gray and white tom, amber eyes

Bramblepaw—dark brown she-cat, amber eyes

Queens:

Harpeywing—dark brown tabby she-cat, green eyes (mother of Vipertooth's kits—Redkit and Nightkit)

Snakestep—golden she-cat with black flecks and paws, yellow eyes (mother of Elmstar's kit—Adderkit)

Elders:

Blackstorm—black tom, green eyes

Quailfeather—black and white she-cat, amber eyes


	2. Prologue

**Here is the prologue! I hope you enjoy!**

 **-Willow**

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 **Prologue**

 _Stars blazed dimly against a coal_ -black sky, bathing the trees and ground below in a iridescent light. The lake water shimmered in the glow, fish of all sorts able to be seen by those watching from above. The moon, once bright with a everlasting glow, was dimmed as the starlight overpowered it; it now hung low in the horizon, looking as if it could fall onto the trees given the proper moment.

A pale brown she-cat bustled in her den, trying to keep herself busy by organizing and re-organizing her herb store. Her paws flitted from bundle to bundle, knowing which bundle was which from many seasons of experience. Her blue eyes were keen on the sky; a storm looked about overhead, the dark clouds waining on the treetops. That certainly wasn't good for the newborn kits, who often trembled and cried in fear of the loud noises and flashes of white before their unseeing eyelids.

 _Don't fret, Fallowstorm,_ she chided herself, huffing in annoyance at how silly she was being about a few storm clouds and a restless night. _If the storm happens, just go and give the kits some poppy seeds. That should calm them enough to_ —

"Fallowstorm?"

The said she-cat jumped, gasping sharply at the sound of a voice. Her heart raced in her chest, her eyes wide and ears pinned to her head in fear; what was going on with her? Why was she so on edge? Flicking her tail, she turned and saw the pure black pelt of Tanglepaw; the apprentice, recently appointed and the daughter of Sorreltooth and Littlewing, looked extremely tired. Her eyes were dulled with exhaustion and she looked as if she hadn't slept in a good day or two.

Hurriedly, Fallowstorm meowed, "What is it you need, Tanglepaw?"

"I need..." Tanglepaw paused in her sentence to yawn, "a poppy seed or two... I can't sleep."

 _You look it, little one... I too haven't slept._

"All right, hold on a moment; I'll get you some." Fallowstorm turned back to her herb bundles and quickly fished around for two poppy seeds, placing them in a smaller leaf. She rose to her paws and padded to Tanglepaw's side, settling before the black she-cat and placing the leaf at her paws. "This should put your mind and body at ease, little one..." she purred, blinking softly at Tanglepaw.

The apprentice shot her a grateful glance and bent her head, catching the two poppy seeds on her tongue and swallowing them in a matter of heartbeats. She sighed, clearly contempt, as the faded look in her eyes began to darken. It was no longer a look of exhaustion—more so a look of drowsiness.

Fallowstorm noticed how unstable Tanglepaw seemed to be on her paws. When the apprentice rose to her full height, her legs wobbled and gave out on her—the pale brown tabby quickly lunged forward and allowing Tanglepaw to lean against her. "Come on," Fallowstorm murmured, nudging Tanglepaw to her paws as best she could, "let's get you back to your nest."

Tanglepaw nodded solemnly, and at a slow but steady pace the two cats exited Fallowstorm's den. By now, the clouds had dissipated from sight; however, the wind was beginning to pick up, the leaves on trees showering the camp in their green fronds. Fallowstorm picked up her pace, eventually having to haul Tanglepaw into the apprentices den by her scruff. The scents of her brother, Webpaw alongside the two apprentice Talonpaw and Raccoonpaw were comforting to Fallowstorm. She lightly eased a now sleeping Tanglepaw into her nest beside Raccoonpaw and quickly made her way outside, staring up at the lowering moon with wide eyes.

Suddenly, a loud cry came from the warriors den. Fallowstorm lurched around, finding the young warrior Dashfrost staring up at the moon as well. His eyes were flashing in fear and his tail was bushed out twice its size.

Cautious, Fallowstorm approached him, speaking soft and low. "It's alright, Dashfrost," she soothed, laying her tail comfortingly across his shoulders, "No harm is coming to ThunderClan, I promise..."

Another cry sounded from the nursery; it was Morningfire, who was heavily pregnant with Harrowtooth's kits. Immediately, the pale gray tom's blurred image streaked across Fallowstorm's vision as he rushed towards his mate, checking her over and asking her if she was okay. Cries, screams, and shouts were all around Fallowstorm, making her mind go from cat to cat a million miles a minute.

" _Silence!_ " shouted a cat through the caterwauls.

The horrific noises dimmed to nothing in Fallowstorm's ears. Looking up at Highstone, she saw ThunderClan's leader, Newtstar, looking down at his Clan through tired yet blazing eyes; the small gray tom was lashing his tail, obviously not pleased with having his sleep disturbed. His pale pelt shone in the dim light, the gray contrasting with the blackness of the sky.

"What's going on, Newtstar?" asked Waspwing. The pale ginger tom was huddled in between Dustfang and Ivywhisker, his amber eyes wide.

"Are we under attack?" shouted Redstripe from the back of the Clan. In the darkness, his pure white pelt stuck out like a thorn among his darker-pelted Clanmates.

The cries and frets were once more around Fallowstorm, a monstrosity in her ears. The pale brown medicine cat flattened her ears to her head and stared up at Newtstar, her eyes begging him to stop the worry.

Her leader nodded and, with a sharp cry, ceased the fire before it got too overpowering. Newtstar surveyed each and every one of his cats, his amber eyes solemn. "I understand your worry," he began, "for I, too, am troubled by this. However, we cannot let this get the best of us—we must remain strong; just as we always have in time of doubt and worry."

Fallowstorm watched as the ThunderClan leader shared a look with his deputy, Marshpelt. There was a sharp glimmer of fear in the tortoiseshell's eyes as he turned his head and looked at her. Fallowstorm was suddenly slammed with a multitude of power—one that clearly did not resonate within ThunderClan themselves.

"Darkness is upon us," Fallowstorm whispered fearfully, looking back at Marshpelt and nodding. The tom returned the gesture only to look at Newtstar, which the small pale gray tom did not return—the fear that was already settled in his eyes was enough to give way that he knew.

"Return to your nests; all of you," Newtstar meowed, trying to seem calm. "this darkness will be ended by dawn, I assure you."

Mutters were cast, glances were shared, but at the end of it all the Clan returned to their dens.

Newtstar and Marshpelt remained, however. Fallowstorm's pelt was slightly raised, but she forced herself to lay it flat as she approached them.

Marshpelt was the one to greet her. "Fallowstorm," he started, beginning masking the fear in his eyes, "what brings you—"

"It's upon us," Fallowstorm murmured darkly, "there's no stopping it now..."

Marshpelt cocked his head, confused. "Stopping what?"

"An unknown threat," Newtstar confirmed for his deputy. "It must begin with this..."

"It's the end, then?" Marshpelt murmured, his tail going between his legs.

"Not the end," Fallowstorm corrected, turning to stare up at the stagnant moon in the sky. It's dull glow was taunting, sending shivers through the trees and down her spine. "But the beginning of the end."

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 **Aaaaand that's the prologue! Sorry, I know it was mainly focused in ThunderClan, but the same thing would've been said in the other three Clans so I decided to just leave it at this.**

 **Please review! I enjoy reading them and constructive criticism is always welcomed as long as no swearing is in them. :)**

 **-Willow**


	3. Chapter One

**Here it is – Chapter One! :D**

 **I would like to thank Your Emerald Star for reviewing – it means a lot and I hope this story will continue to make you want to read more!**

 **From here on out, chapters will be as short or as long as they need to be. I'm not one to make chapters so long that they get boring, but I am one to flesh it out or shorten it if I feel my point is accurately explained or if it has gotten across to the reader.**

 **This story takes place with the main characters as kits; I've changed the allegiances so that they are as such. Sorry if this makes you stop reading, but I really just couldn't start it off when they're already apprentices and no backstory... I like my characters to be fleshed out to the best of my ability, and to do that, they need to be kits for these first five or six chapters.**

 **-Willow**

* * *

 **Chapter One**

 _Leaf-fall was timid this season; the_ leaves seemed to rain down every five heartbeats, black blurs that flashed against the moonlight and onto a cat's fur. The endless array of stars was enough to mesmerize even the most non-daydreaming warrior; most of the ThunderClan cats were watching the sky, jaws open in awe at how beautiful it looked. The stars were dappling the night like raindrops would a black pelt, shimmering and winking down at the Clans of the lake; they were watching them, no matter how dark and dreary it got.

From her place outside the nursery, Tanglekit watched her Clanmates as they shivered, complained, and constantly rose to their paws to shake out their pelts. Up on the Highstone, Newtstar sat idly on the gray surface, his pelt blending in with the rock as he watched his Clan. His deputy, Marshpelt, lay at the base of it, the large boulder seeming to protect his pelt from the wind; apprentices and warriors alike wandered by, shaking leaves out of their fur and in between their claws. Only the flutter of the leaf hitting the ground let Tanglekit know that it had left the warrior's pelt or claw; with the sun not shining down and the moon in its place, darkness surrounded Tanglekit and her Clanmates like a thorn bush.

The scent of prey wafted into her nose, and Tanglekit let out a purr. Despite having many patrols going out each and every day to hunt, most had no luck. Each day, fewer and fewer pieces of prey were brought back by most patrols; more often than not, a vast majority of the Clan went to sleep hungry, but not Tanglekit. Her mother, Littlewing, seemed to always get prey for her and her brother Webkit; in fact, the three elders and two queens always had a vole or a shrew at their paws by the end of the night. Whether or not it had a lot of meat on it wasn't considered – their meal, whatever it happened to be, always left them a little less hungry; that was as good as it could get right now.

 _"It's the kindness of Newtstar,"_ Littlewing always told Tanglekit and Webkit before they dug into their scrawny meal, _"that makes us able to eat this prey while the rest of the Clan is not. Be thankful that our leader has such a heart, kits."_

The conversation always died on that note; it was sure to never be continued beyond that point.

Tanglekit paused in her sightseeing to lean back and groom her tail; she let out a small grunt as she pulled a long strand of bracken through the ruffled fur. Her mother always told her that when she was first born, she would always wriggle and twist in the nest, causing moss and whatever else to get lodged in her fur. Back then, she didn't have a name for a few days, but once her parents took notice of her twisting and turning constantly, moss getting trapped in her constanly-ruffled pelt, they decided to name her Tanglekit.

A pair of sharp claws dug into her tail; hissing, Tanglekit threw her attacker a glare and leaped out of the way, her pelt bristling. The bright silver-and-white pelt of her brother, Webkit, made all anger inside of her disappear. His eyes were wide – apprehension, apology, and timidness burned in them bright as the moon.

"I–I didn't mean that, Tangle," he mewed, using his nickname for her, "Y–You know that, don't you?"

The pure black she-cat let out a sympathetic purr and pressed her muzzle against Webkit's. "Of course I do," she murmured, pulling away and blinking sadly at him. Her brother's ribs were sticking out of his pelt like a sore paw – so was every cat's, but Webkit looked famished. Tanglekit knew he had been only eating half of his prey to share it among Whitewing and herself, but even the strongest warriors didn't look as bad as he did. The entire thought made Tanglekit's heart break – if she lost Webkit now, in the middle of leaf-fall to an illness that could've been prevented...

 _Stop it,_ she chided herself, standing and shaking out her pelt. _You're being ridiculus, Tanglekit – you'll never lose Webkit._

"You're honestly only a pair of eyes, Tanglekit. Your pelt blends in with the shadows."

Tanglekit's thoughts were shattered by the sound of her father's voice. Sorreltooth stood above her, his massive height dwarfing her by a landslide; her mother stood beside her father, the white of their pelts shining silver in the moonlight.

"T–That's why I didn't see you," Webkit murmured from beside her, "H–Honest."

"I'm sure your sister is aware of that, Webkit," Littlewing purred to her son, "After all, you can barely see her through this darkness!"

Sorreltooth flicked Tanglekit's ear with his tail-tip, his eyes warm. "Don't worry, little one," he meowed proudly, "it's pelts like yours that make ThunderClan so great in hunting."

 _Not great this moon, sadly,_ Tanglekit thought. She shook the thought out of her mind with a twitch of her tail. That was warrior and apprentice business – not a two-moon old kit just beginning to eat solid prey.

Another pelt – softer than her own or Webkit's – pressed against Tanglekit's side. This cat was bigger than her; clearly an apprentice – perhaps a warrior. Turning her head, she saw a large cat, clearly the same height as Sorreltooth, looking down at her through sightless white eyes.

When it spoke, its voice was close and warm enough that Tanglekit was sure the words were searing her pelt:

 _"Seek out the cats with stars in their eyes...curiosity will guide you, but only true willpower will prevail in getting the answers you must."_

The ground beneath her vanished, and she fell into an abyss of nothing.

* * *

"She's waking up," came a voice from within her subconcious. A warm pelt – two, she realized after her senses caught up with her mind – pressed into her side, providing a warmth that she did not need, yet was grateful for.

Opening her eyes, Tanglekit took in the scent of herbs all around her; smeared on her pelt in various places, the pugnent smells overpowering in her nose. She sneezed, earning a purr of amusement from Webkit and Littlewing, followed by a lick between the ears from her mother.

"What happened?" Tanglekit asked. Her voice was patchy and rough, going a different octave with each word. A small mossball, clearly soaked in water, was placed at her paws; grateful and not bothering to thank whoever it was that gave it to her, Tanglekit lapped furiously at the moss, purring in delight as the cold water soothed her vocal chords.

"You and Webkit were tussling on the ground," Sorreltooth, who Tanglekit hadn't noticed began, "it started out wonderful, with you both nipping and playfully batting at one another; but it quickly turned into something more when we saw you slam your head into a rock just outside the nursery entrance."

"We immediately took you here," Littlewing meowed, taking hold of the story, "and Fallowstorm has been working hard to get you patched up." the white she-cat fondly nuzzled Tanglekit, waves of gratitude coming off her pelt.

Webkit said nothing, but looked extremely guilty. He opened his jaws to say something, but Tanglekit interrupted him by pressing her nose against his. Neither of them spoke – they didn't have too; Tanglekit and Webkit both knew that he was forgiven.

Tanglekit suddenly remembered the cat with the sightless white eyes and asked, "Did you all see that one cat in the bushes?"

Littlewing and Sorreltooth shared a look, confusion bright within their eyes. "What cat?" Littlewing meowed, tipping her head to the side.

"We didn't see a cat," Sorreltooth said blantantly; his eyes were burning with confusion and wonder all at the same time.

"Webkit," Tanglekit mewed, turning to her brother and looking him straight in the eye, "you saw the cat, right? A black cat, just like me, with pure white eyes?"

"I think she needs another poppy seed, Fallowstorm," murmured her father as Webkit shook his head no, leaving Tanglekit completely mind-boggled.

 _They didn't see it!_

Littlewing's voice was speaking quietly to her, murmuring, "Eat the poppy seed, Tanglekit... That cat you saw was probably a dream you had."

Tanglekit did as her mother asked, the poppy seed feeling larger than ever as it went down.

"Go to sleep, little one," Sorreltooth whispered, stroking her spine with his tail, "You'll be better by morning."

"I know what I saw," Tanglekit cried as her words began to slur, drowiness coming onto her like a giant wave, "I know what I..."

At the front of the den, Fallowstorm sat sorting herbs in the blackness. Her dark blue eyes were flashing with something other than memories of herbs...

...they were flashing with _recognition._

 _Fallowstorm knows who I'm talking about!_

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 **Plot occurences in the first chapter? All right then!**

 **Next chapter is from one of the other three Clans P.O.V's – I can't seem to decide which.**

 **-Willow**


	4. Chapter Two

**Here is the second chapter – I hope you enjoy!**

 **Thank you to The Wicked Yveltal (aka Hazel) for reviewing! I'm glad to see that you liked the prologue and chapter one** **– it means a lot! :)**

 **The Four are the same age, by the way** **– everything that is happening to them is occurring at the same time, just not in the same chapter as one another.**

 **-Willow**

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 **Chapter Two**

 _Moonlight streamed down on Basskit's pelt_ through the leaves, dappling it with a silver tint. The small, dark gray tom focused on the reed bed in front of him, lashing his tail. If he could just grab that minnow down in the bottom, he'd surely make his father impressed!

Wriggling his haunches, Basskit prepared himself for a leap. He flattened his ears to his head and narrowed his eyes, focusing on the small patch of reeds in front of him. With a cry of sure victory, Basskit leaped into the shallow water, catching something on his claw; yanking his paw out of the water, he saw that all he caught was old, mucky grass and twigs all clumped together. Making a face and growling in distaste Basskit shook it off, the clumped mess leaving a slimy residue on the fur.

"I said you couldn't catch anything!"

Basskit shuffled his way through the reeds and found his sister, Scalekit, trotting towards him with a grin on her face. Her gray, bright ginger and white pelt was dull against the night sky; only the white seemed to show. Her tail was held high in the air and her eyes were sparking with laughter – Basskit fought back a groan and raised his slimy paw, bending his head to groom it when Scalekit batted it away.

"I wouldn't do that," she mewed. "You don't know where those twigs and grass have been."

"They've been in the reed bed, frog-brain," Basskit retorted, flicking his tail. He despised his sister's always-groomed pelt, her bright green eyes and her small paws. Basskit had never been so keen on grooming and making himself look presentable; he had giant paws and a lean shape, not stocky like his sister.

"Not always," Scalekit flashed back, a small growl laced with the words. "Now come on; Mama's been looking for you for a while now."

"I told her I was going to find a fish!"

"Yes, and look what you found instead," Scalekit lashed her tail, gesturing towards his paw with a jerk of her head. "You found a clump of twigs and grass. _Real_ good, brother; I'm sure that'll impress Daddy so much that he just makes Coralstar announce you an apprentice now!"

Basskit growled, flattening his ears to his head. With a roll of his eyes, he followed Scalekit through the tall grass and out into the clearing.

Despite the moonlight shining down on the camp, RiverClan itself seemed as bright as the sun. Warriors were sharing tongues in various parts of them camp; even at this distance, Basskit could see the warriors Lightstream and Timberfall laughing about something, their shoulders shaking and jaws wide as they howled. Mistpelt was up on Waterstone, his head bent in conversation with Coralstar; the two cats' looked to be discussing something serious that didn't involve any RiverClan cat other than them. Outside his den, Rushfeather was seated talking with Twistkit and Curlewkit, the oldest kits in the nursery as well as Basskit's demates. The queen Blossomwing was laying outside the nursery, her mate Beechfur resting beside her; Basskit could hear their pelts brushing one another as they dozed, being so close to them in proximity.

"Where are Mama and Daddy?" Basskit asked, to which Scalekit turned and sent him a look that said, _Are you frog-brained?_ The dark gray tom blinked at his sister, confusion swimming around him. Scalekit sighed, muttered something about how pathetic some toms were, before reaching out with her tail and wrapping it around his neck; Basskit's vision was drawn away from the nursery to the far side of camp. There, outlined in the moon's glow, were his parents; Troutleap was sitting upright, his head high as he looked for his kits. Brightstone lounged beside him, her yellow eyes half-closed and ears pricked.

"Come on," Scalekit hissed under her breath. Blinking, Basskit noticed that his sister was already three tail-lengths ahead of him; clobbering over his pawsteps, Basskit followed the few patches of white all the way to the other side of camp. When Troutleap noticed them approach, his hard and fierce amber eyes – much like Basskit's own – softened with relief.

"Did you catch that fish?" Troutleap asked, nuzzling Basskit warmly. His eyes were playful but interested, obviously wanting to hear about how his 'hunt' had gone.

Basskit shook his head, his tail drooping as Scalekit spluttered through laughter, "All he caught was a bunch of twigs and grass, Daddy!"

"Grass and twigs are a good start," Troutleap purred under his breath.

Basskit was warmed by his father's praise, even it wasn't much. It was rare that Troutleap gave praise to any cat – being his son didn't make it any different, and Basskit knew that. The dark gray tom pressed his muzzle into his father's leg, immediately being bathed in Troutleap's scent. Basskit wished he was an apprentice; hunting, running, and fighting beside his father were all things he wished to do with the pale gray warrior.

 _I'll be able to do all those things with Troutleap someday,_ Basskit encouraged himself. _Maybe even more than that!_

"Are you deaf, brother?"

Basskit's thoughts were shattered as Scalekit's paw began to wave back and forth before him. Growling, he shook his sister's paw out of the way, glaring at her; Scalekit's green eyes were annoyed, flashing brightly against the dull hue of light around her.

"What?" he asked, to which Brightstone herself scoffed and rolled her eyes. Troutleap sent his mate a glare, his lip slightly curling into a snarl.

Scalekit rolled her eyes as well, lashing her tail. "I asked if you were going to throw yourself into the stream again to try and catch that same minnow... StarClan only knows that you can't even chase your own tail."

"Says the kit who can't be bothered to get her paws wet," Basskit countered.

"Says the kit who can't catch anything to save his life," Scalekit hissed. "If we all die when we're apprentices, I'm holding you responsible."

"Stop, both of you," Troutleap snarled, baring his teeth. "You're acting ridiculous." With a heated glare to Brightstone, he asked, "Could you take Scalekit into the nursery and give her a talking to? I'll take Basskit."

With a lazy roll of her eyes, Brightstone gathered Scalekit's scruff in her jaws and was soon disappearing inside the hollowed den.

Basskit sank to the ground under his father's stare, feeling his pelt growing hot. Troutleap didn't look pleased; his pelt was bristling, eyes flaming with rage.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Basskit began, but the pale gray tom cut him off.

"I'm not mad at you, Basskit," he meowed sternly, looking off towards the nursery. His eyes flared again, lit by a fire of hatred Basskit could only guess was for either his sister or his mother. "Your mother and I just..." he trailed off, the hatred dulling into sorrow.

"Just...?"

"We're just not on the best terms right now," Troutleap said stiffly. He looked down at Basskit and murmured, "Don't worry about it, Basskit; it's nothing you nor Scalekit did."

"But..." Basskit stared at his father, his eyes wide. Were his parents fighting without his knowledge?

Troutleap said nothing, only picked Basskit up by the scruff. He slowly padded across camp and into the nursery, placing Basskit down at Brightstone's belly; there was sadness and remorse in his eyes, but it was hidden behind fake happiness.

With only a lick between the ears, a bid of goodnight and a hollowed feeling in his chest, Basskit watched his father leave him for what felt like the first and last time.

* * *

 **Aw... poor Basskit.**

 **I know that ending was boring; the next chapter, either from ShadowClan or WindClan, should be more exciting. :D**

 **Until next time!**

 **– Willow :3**


	5. Chapter Three

**ANNOUCEMENT:**

 **You may have noticed that the title and summary of this story has changed** **– that was completely intentional. I felt that this story didn't have a good summary and needed an extra... _oomph_ , so to speak, to get the ideas whirling through my head. With the new summary and the new threat now created, I can hopefully have a lesser chance of getting horrid writer's block for this ****– let's hope for the best, anyway. xD**

 **Because of this, the eternal night never existed; it will be changed in the previous chapters as soon as I can find time.**

 **– Willow**

* * *

 **In all honesty, this chapter was really hard to write, and this is why it is as short as it is... I had a really difficult time getting the scene right in my head, and it's not played out at all in this chapter... my apologies. My work after this chapter will hopefully be better than this... if I have time, I might go back and edit this chapter completely to make it as I intended.**

 **Nevertheless, this chapter is finished and ready to be uploaded. :D**

 **– Willow**

* * *

 **A Message to Blazefeather of RiverClan:**

 **I looked it up; it never said anything about how much to give patients.**

 **I've searched through both the Warriors Wikipedia page and my Ultimate Guide; nothing is mentioned about a dosage of medicine.**

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

 _Tanglekit woke in a field of_ pure black.

It was definitely strange; there were no trees, no bushes, no dens at all. It was just a landscape; a blacktop of nothing.

Tanglekit opened her mouth to scream; to cry; to do something other than stand here and feel fear crawling up her throat. But no sound came; no matter how hard she tried to utter a word, she was silent.

 _StarClan,_ she thought frantically, her eyes darting back and forth through the blackness, _if you can hear me,_ please _wake me up!_

The stars did not aid her, much to Tanglekit's disappointment.

Quiet hung in the air like vine tendrils. Thick and long, they weaved around Tanglekit in such a way that the black she-kit squirmed in discomfort; she hated this. She wanted to talk; to scream; even just letting out a purr would be better than this.

At the corner of her vision, a flash of white appeared. Quickly, Tanglekit turned in the direction of the white flash, only to freeze; her tail started to duck between her legs as she stared, horrified, at the large white cat beginning to saunter towards her.

It held itself strongly; supported by long legs and large paws, the cat walked with a grace Tanglekit hadn't seen before. Broad shoulders angled nicely towards the cat's neck, dark gray swirls beginning to form on its pelt the more that Tanglekit focused.

"W-Who are you?" Tanglekit stammered, trembling on her paws, "Why are you here?"

The cat said nothing; it only flicked its tail, and the blackness melted away to a world of white.

Wind lashed at her pelt, nearly throwing Tanglekit off her paws. She dug her claws into the whiteness below them, shivering against the cold. The sun shone brightly off the land, creating such a glare that Tanglekit had to squint in order to see her own paws clearly.

"What is this place?" Tanglekit cried over the wind, raising her head to look at the cat at her side.

The cat's mouth did not move as it spoke, nor did it look at her; it continued to stare out wide-eyed at the wide expanse of white before them.

 _Home._

"Home? What do you mean, home?" Tanglekit lashed her tail, causing the snow to cloud behind in her wake. It disappeared just as it started to rise **–** as if it had never been stirred by her tail in the first place. "This isn't my home! Send me back!"

The cat turned its sightless eyes on her, and Tanglekit immediately knew...

...this was _ThunderClan_ ; _her_ home.

"Why is it like this?"

 _Time; it changed._

"Changed how?"

 _Balance was altered._

"Balance?" Tanglekit's head was swimming. "What balance?"

 _Balance of life and death; balance of love and hate; balance of the past, present and future...all altered; all changed by time._

"What does this have to do with my Clan?"

 _I cannot say; I've spoken too much already._

Tanglekit felt her blood turn to ice as the cat closed its eyes...

...and when they opened, she woke into the land of the living.

* * *

 **Boring chapter; not a lot happened, I know.**

 **This next chapter should be longer and more action-y. We haven't met the two cats from WindClan or ShadowClan yet; you're in for a treat... I'll say that much. :D**

 **– Willow**


End file.
